I strongly recommend this film as an instructional tool to connect ecology, communication, and global service. Yeah. Theres no one that would even take it if I paid them to take it." I think the chemical industry, and the plastics industry specifically, need to take very seriously this reaction thats going on. ", And this document was candid: There is serious doubt widespread plastic recycling can ever be made viable on an economic basis.. In what may be part of a national trend, the City Council of St. Paul, Minnesota, voted to outlaw the use of polystyrene plastics. Docuseek2 is a streaming platform of the best documentary and social issue films available for the higher education community. Id come to see what its archive could tell me about the evolution of the plastic problem. Like in the '90s, the industry has been spending money on ads. How much water was withdrawn to produce this product? Dr. Sherri A. Mason, Professor of Chemistry, Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator, SUNY at Fredonia'We are all familiar with trash, but most of us likely are unaware of indestructible plastic trash that pollutes the oceans, contaminates our seafood, kills birds, fish, and marine mammals as well as carrying toxic substances into the environment and our bodies. Americans discard more trash than any other country in the world. ", "Eye-opening insightPlastic Paradise provides an informative, timely and, relevant look at the consequences of plastic consumption", "A film that moves the grassroots and has the audience thinking twice, before grabbing a straw to go with a beverage.". It's not going to happen this month or by the end of the year, but we're moving now. What are the toxics emissions? But if it's not happening in Oregon, it makes me wonder what's going on in the rest of the country. Recycle, bury, what to do with it? How big can the trash get? Timothy Hoellein, Aquatic Ecologist, Assistant Professor of Biology, Loyola University'With fantastic archival footage, revealing modern images from the pacific and thoughtful, fact-based explanation, Plastic Paradise provides an educational, hip, and very entertaining look at some of the many ways plastic is affecting us all. Do you fundamentally think that in the United States recycling could ramp up to a capacity to handle the vast majority of plastic that's being produced? My college age son thinks it is 'right on.' Much more education needs to happen on how to recycle. Ask students to predict what kinds of floating trash might be most harmful to ocean life and why. But later we surely realized that there was always another aspect of what was going on in China. But the alternative is having plastic waste in the environment. Then what? For the oil and gas industry, the stakes are higher, too, because single-use plastic is their Plan B. This is from Purchase, New York. There is no proof. Plastic Paradise makes the issue of plastic pollution real and relevant. Honolulu Pulse'Offers some alarming information that might cause viewers to think twice about buying one-time-use water bottles.' Plastic Paradise looks to make difference with plastic consumption By Stephanie Shinno The Garden Island | Sunday, July 11, 2021, 12:05 a.m. Share this story Contributed by Abe Kowitz Abe. It's time for change, and this is that time. [Expletive] Christ, that is plastic. Plastics in the ocean have been building up for decades. Most mixed plastics end up in a place like this. Most end up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and harm marine life; the rest are burned in garbage piles, where they release harmful dioxins into the atmosphere. One recycling company here caught our attention. We dont think that were being misleading because technically it is recyclable. A bunch of small but . Kamilo Beach, located on the south-eastern tip of Hawaii's Big Island, has been dubbed one of the most plastic-polluted spots on the planet. We're covered in plastic-based gear from head to toe. It was, "We need to be doing things.". They wanted us to sort plastics when people thought plastics might be starting to be a problem. It has really good engineering qualities; it protects food very well. I would say that this package is rarely recycled in most parts in the country. So here weve collected some old newspaper articles from 199425 years ago. Angela SunProduced by Angela Sun, Gil Elbaz, Elyssa Elbaz, Tanya Leal SotoEditor: Wendy ShueyCinematography: Joseph Ochoa, Francisco Aliwalas, Mark BellaGraphics: Jonathan Jelkin. ThermaSet is the future. It is ultimately getting recycled. Do you think that they took a lesson away from how to fight the bans? And Id be like, "I can tell you, I cant give this away. 2023 Plastic Paradise. Let's get these bills passed. In many ways were just getting started. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Will Posegate is the chief operating officer of Garten. We've got to fix the recycling system; clearly that's job one. A lot of Americans do this, like what you're doing right now. We follow Angela Sun while she investigates the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is where the plastic waste of three different continents accumulates. Forty years on, despite a plastic crisis thats been getting worse, the industrys future seems bright. JERRED JONES, Program representative, Keep America Beautiful: We are Keep America Beautiful. Starring Angela Sun Wallace J. Nichols. Use and discard, and then this is where it all ends up. They created the Council for Solid Waste Solutions, drawn from their ranks of big oil and petrochemical companies that made plastic, like Amoco, Chevron, Dow and Exxon. I would say that their conclusions in 1973, you say, are still true. Lead editor, Wendy Shuey; cinemtaography, Francisco Aliwalas [and 6 others]; music by APM Music [and 6 others]. Yes, because we are struggling to handle our own waste. From packaging to clothing to home furnishings. This is one of the easiest visualizations of how humans (not all, but many) have lost connection with the environment--a sad state of affairs--but the truth.' I think its a transitional moment. Many of them cannot be recycled anymore and are dirty. RONALD LIESEMER, Council for Solid Waste Solutions, 1988-2001: They wanted to know, was I interested in being the guy who actually made recycling happen across the U.S.? When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. The Hollywood Reporter'The film everyone needs to see.' How did it get there?The trash survey was conducted on a beach. I believe with the proper infrastructure and the proper education and we all work together as a collective, we can. And yet it's become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. The company has not been charged with any wrongdoing related to dumping. We took a seat by the side of the road and she showed me pictures she'd collected of plastic that locals said had been dumped here. Yeah. I met up with Yuyun Ismawati in a small rural community nearby. The film is excellent--in its timeliness, its depth, and its presentation. They would just take the low-hanging fruits. The Boston Globe, Best of Fest Award, Docuwest Film FestivalGrand Jury Award, Wild and Scenic Film FestivalBest Medium Length Documentary, FICMA, Barcelona International Environmental Film FestivalBest Educational Film, Blue Ocean Film FestivalBest Documentary, Philadelphia Asian Film FestivalGold Award Winner, California Film AwardsBroadcast Award, American Conservation Film FestivalBest Environmental Film, San Francisco Ocean Film FestivalIsla Conservation Award, Catalina Film FestivalHawaii International Film FestivalSonoma Film Festival International Wildlife Film Festival, Missoula, MTSan Francisco Green Film FestivalBig Bear International Film FestivalSan Diego Asian International Film FestivalHonolulu World Oceans Day Festival Waimea Ocean Film FestivalLos Angeles Asian American Film Festival Boston Film Festival Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival Sonoma International Film Festival Irvine International Film Festival Richmond Environmental Film Festival Marda Loop Justice Film Festivals I Imagine Film Festival Festival TransAmeriques Montreal Gray's Reef Ocean Film Festival Miami and the Beaches Environmental Film Festival Reel Change Sustainability Film Festival, Sun, Angela (screenwriter) FEMALE. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. You guys have been around for a long time. Chevron Phillips would like to see all of that plastic recycled back to make new plastic things. Back in Oregon, I found one of these new technologies. I think thats true. In 2015, a marine biologist came across a sea turtle in distress. When you look at plastic, you know how it helps things stay fresh and safe and light. Let's just go knock and see if maybe someone will talk to us. (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })(); As long as we didnt disclose his identity. How could they go into all of these communities and tell people "You just have to recycle" when they knew there were so many problems and so many hurdles? [Speaking Indonesian] It used to be only once a month, but now it can be two or three times a week. Reveals the history and worldwide scope of plastics pollution, investigates, 2023 Docuseek, LLCAll rights reserved | Privacy Statement | Accessibility Statement, Angela Sun, consumption of plastics, Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Midway Atoll, plastic, pollution, gyre, Pacific gyre, Midway Atoll, war in the pacific, history of plastics, plastics in war and peace, BPA, endocrine disruptors, Frederick vom Saal, John Klavitter, Matt Brown, Captain Charles Moore, Rikeem Sholes, Lewis Goldsmith, Arnold Schwarznegger, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Gerry Fishbeck, Brian Porter, Andy Keller, Rolf Halden, Wailana, Elizabeth Keenan, Gregor Hodgson, Susie Holst, Marcus Eriksen, Noel Mendiola, Annette Horman, Indie Carbo, dianna Cohen, Anna Cummins, Kitt Doucette, Dave Rastovich, Wallace J Nichols, Lisa Boyle, Julia Brownley, Gretchen Bleiler, Jack Johnson, Micah Mendiola, Daniel McGregor, Raquel Long, Matthew Long, Greg Stone, Peter Seligmann, Algalita Marine Research and Education, plastic nets, microplastics, albatross, indicator species, recycling, single use plastics, consumer power, American Chemistry Council, ACC, Society of the Plastics Industry, SPI, bag monster. There's going to be more plastic than ever. According to the filmmaker, plastic debris collects in this fashion because a combination of gyres (large systems of rotating ocean currents) serve as catchment basins, and debris that would. Existing customers, please log in to view this film. Until there is a viable option for recycling those things, we should be putting it in a landfill. By 2050, its estimated that global production of plastic will triple. Dr. Joel Baker, Director, UW Puget Sound Institute, Professor and Port of Tacoma Chair in Environmental Science, University of Washington Tacoma'Angela Sun has found a way to present the imminent dangers of plastics pollution in a jarringly visual and inquisitive formatSignificant take-home messages include a misconception of just how few plastic products are recyclable, and that plastics production will continue to increase as long as the demand for plastic products remains. This million-dollar plastic sorting system in Salem is the first of its kind in the world. We are the shipper of the scrap. Dr. Sherri A. Mason, Professor of Chemistry, Environmental Sciences Program Coordinator, SUNY at Fredonia'We are all familiar with trash, but most of us likely are unaware of indestructible plastic trash that pollutes the oceans, contaminates our seafood, kills birds, fish, and marine mammals as well as carrying toxic substances into the environment and our bodies. People with respiratory problem, they really get affected. Step into the world of man-made materials that take up where nature left off. He now heads a local environmental coalition, but he remembers a pivotal board meeting in the late '80s, when the industry was worried about its public image. The photography is a strong asset, and images from Midway Island are especially striking. How does this conflict compare to what you saw happen in the '80s and '90s when this last came up with this kind of fervor? We have to separate paper, and then the metals and then the plastics. They want to sell more plastic containers. Devastating Plastic Paradise Documentary Shows How Our Trash Lands up in the Pacific Ocean (VIDEO) Environment. What if its got a chasing arrow sign on it and you think that means its getting recycled? When they were running the advertising on television, they were not about how plastics can be recycled but all the wonderful things that plastics bring to us. to tout the virtues of plastics as a way of heading off the criticism the industry was experiencing. The table is set with polyethylene products, too. Highly recommended.' All Rights Reserved.Graphics by. Some items, like soda bottles and milk jugs, are easier to recycle, so theres money to be made. Years later, we shut it down because there was no way to make money at it. And if you turn this over, you see the chasing arrows. No, this is about all of us understanding that we each have a role to play in making the system that we have better and achieving the goals thatI think everybody would have to say we cannot continue with business as usual. And they said no. Once in the ocean there is really no way to get it out, other than hope that it washes up on a shore and is collected. But to get to the beach, the trash had to float through the water, which is where coral reef organisms would have encountered it. Loaded with more than 3,000 tons of waste from New Yorks Long Island. Behind the lens, Angela directed and produced the award-winning feature documentary film "Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch" currently on the film festival circuit and set to release later this year. Recycle, bury, what to do with it? The start of construction on that multibillion-dollar plastics plant. This is plastic that has no home, so it's your clamshells, Ziploc bags, film, a CD, a food wrapper. So if you put this in your curbside tonight, do you think that this tube would be recycled? That was one of the comments early, that it implied that those products were being recycled. DENI SURJANTORO, Spokesman, Indonesian Customs: [Speaking Indonesian] We have some priority issues and one of them is plastic waste. Have we made any progress? Back in Oregon, I put the question to David Allaway. And now Im what I've always wanted to be. Its going to be the largest plant of its kind in the world. Documentary. In small groups, explore the impact of ocean plastics on coral reef species by having students research the impact of ghost nets on sea turtles, the ingestion of plastic by Pacific seabirds, and the ingestion of plastic particles by coral polyps. Once a completely natural product, much of today's plastic is man-made and largely dependent upon fossil fuels. But more importantly, we have to look at reuse models; using less where we can; developing new materials, which is the plastic maker's responsibility, that can be better recycled; and also really important that we deploy the technologies that are now available to us at scale. Americans need to know that your waste ended up here. Their . Added to the plastic consumer goods swirling and settling in the way-beyond, are the estimated 640,000 tons of discarded plastic and nylon commercial fishing nets, many weighing more than a ton each, that snag on and break life-giving coral reefs, and entrap and kill larger marine animals. Were they misleading the public? For scrap. No, it was not an accident. under Environment, Pollution; by Tafline Laylin. DAVID ALLAWAY, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: Very nice to meet you. And when it comes to understanding and reducing the environmental impacts of materials, including packaging, consumers have the lowest amount of leverage. Liesemer was sent to Minnesota on an urgent mission. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Carl F. Cranor, Professor of Philosophy, Faculty of Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, University of California-Riverside'Plastic Paradise warns that the environment is everyone's responsibility, and that humanity cannot turn a blind eye to its own garbage forever. Not a good idea for the Earth. From 1990 to 2010, production more than doubled. The big problem is that it is all about money, profits. I highly recommend checking this film out!' That kind of implies that thats where the responsibility lay. Considering the creation of plastic was used as a substitute for . And yet its become ground zero for The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. When you get a bale of plastic, how much of that bale is plastic that the company wants and how much of it is stuff that is just plastic that youre not going to do anything with? Remember, a lot of the plastic packaging that you have in your kitchen is recyclable. Scientists hope the larvae of the darkling beetle nicknamed "superworms" might solve the world's trash crisis thanks to their uncanny ability to eat polystyrene.

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